Our pick for this segment is an all-new car with a not-so-new name. – more »

The Aveo is built by the former Daewoo company (which GM now owns) and is designed to compete against its fellow subcompact Koreans, the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio. – more »

If Nissan's new Sentra caters to the sport-minded driver, the distinctively styled and even roomier new Elantra will especially appeal to more sedate drivers and their passengers. – more »

The all-new Accent platform debuted in the sedan configuration in the fall of 2005, as a 2006 model. The new 3-door hatch debuted the following spring, as a 2007 model. This time around, Hyundai ... – more »

It's been seven years since Mitsubishi's last generation Lancer debuted, so '07 is high time for a redo -- and what a redo it is. – more »

If the last Sentra was a wallflower, the styling of the new 2007 model may not do much to change that. It looks a lot like a Saturn ION, to our eyes. What lies under the skin of this sixth-generation ... – more »

Built by GM's Korean subsidiary, Daewoo, the Wave is a clone of the Chevrolet Aveo. For 2007, the sedan (but not the hatchback, described elsewhere) gets a comprehensive cosmetic makeover, inside and out. The new body shape ... – more »

Sentra's growth upmarket made room for the new Versa as Nissan's new entry-level car. It first touched down in North America as a hatchback last summer, and now has been joined by a four-door sedan sibling. Both are based ... – more »

If the Suzuki Aerio hatchback looked funky-weird, at least its SX4 replacement is funky-cute. Either way, you won't mistake it for anything else. – more »

Things have come full circle for Toyota Canada's subcompact contender. The old Echo began life as a sedan, then received a second lease on life as a hatchback. When its Yaris replacement arrived in 2006 it was initially available ... – more »

Yes, VW has finally made its move to compete in the increasingly "happening" entry-level segment. But no, it hasn't brought over the neat Polo subcompact from Europe. – more »

Sometimes obsolete cars don't just refuse to die (see City Golf); sometimes they make like a Phoenix -- they live after they did die. Case in point: it's pushing two years since the fourth-generation Jetta was displaced by an all-new ... – more »

Nothing major for Cobalt in 2007, apart from the usual trim and option tweaks, plus modest power increases. The base 2.2-litre "four" now makes 148 hp, and the uplevel 2.4 is rated at 173. The LS, LT and LTZ employ the ... – more »

For 2007 the Aveo sedan has an all-new body, but the hatch stays as is, still in LS or LT trim levels. It does share the sedan's retuned suspension, which is claimed to deliver Euro-flavour ride and handling. Unusual in this price ... – more »

Available as a hatchback or wagon, the Korean-built 2007 Optra has two new option packages for 2007: Safety (ABS, side airbags, tire-pressure monitoring); and RS (15-inch alloys, spoiler, 8-speaker audio with steering-wheel controls). ... – more »

Caliber's big story since we previewed it last year is the SRT4. This factory-built sport-compact sends 300 hp (!) to the front wheels (!!) through a 6-speed manual transmission. It's the new flagship of a range that ... – more »

The Ford Focus is available in a wide variety of body styles (3-door hatch, 5-door hatch, sedan, wagon). The 3-door comes in S (base) and mid-level SE guises. The only available engine is the likeable 136-hp, 2.0-litre, which can ... – more »

Focus is one of the few compact hatchbacks to be available in both 3- and 5-door versions. If you want the latter, however, be prepared to pay, because it only comes in loaded SES form. Among items standard on these SES models are ... – more »

The second-generation European Focus never crossed the Atlantic, and the aging North American version is no longer the class benchmark. But it's good enough to keep Ford in contention for now, especially since its quality ... – more »

Canada's best-selling car was all new in 2006, so little changes for 2007. The Civic remains a small-car tour de force. Consider its safety package, with six airbags and ABS and active head restraints all standard. ... – more »